1 Million Bees Make for Bumper-to-Buzzer Traffic on Tennessee Highway Ramp

Beekeepers work to contain a swarm of bees that escaped from a crashed truck on Interstate 40 in Knoxville, Tenn., on April 17, 2026. TDOT via AP

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—Travelers on an East Tennessee interstate were forced to brake for workers—and drones, perhaps even a queen—when a truck carrying about 1 million bees crashed Friday.

The swarm shut down an exit of Interstate 40 in Knoxville, said Mark Nagi, Tennessee Department of Transportation regional spokesperson. There were no injuries, he said.